Can't you count?
We've got three children.
It's already too many.
I told you not to marry
a girl from the city. You see?
You don't know the
Chinese laws?
We don't even know
what will happen to the baby.
They can't take it
at the school,
it's not needed,
and you want a fourth one too!
Bouin,
why did you put
this red cloth on the urga?
Dad, tell me
the story of the wind.
Which story?
When I was sick,
you told me the story of the wind
which blew very hard,
and carried away all the horses,
and the Mongols went out
looking for them.
You remember better than me.
Are we Mongols too?
Yes.
All of us? And Mom,
and Grandma?
Why are we Mongolian,
but Uncle Van Biao is Chinese?
I already told you: we are
Mongols who live in China.
Come on, let's go to the rainbow,
and I'll tell you another story.
Can we get to the rainbow?
No, of course not.
Sit down close to me.
I'll tell you a story.
When there were plenty of us,
the great Genghis Khan heard talk
of a herd of extraordinary horses,
feeding in the far north.
And one fine day,
in this large herd, there appeared...
a white foal.
Listen, he's singing.
See how beautiful he is.
Look... red nose...
Careful!
See his eyes? Round,
as if he's wearing glasses.
There's something in...
Look, Bouin hid that here
so that his sister wouldn't find it.
Mom! Mom!
Come here!
Take your toy.
Go and play!
The pine branches are prickly,
The girls of Voronezh are cute.
The pine branches are prickly,
The girls of Voronezh...
Don't fall asleep at the wheel, idiot!
Don't fall asleep at the wheel, idiot!
Oh, geez...
Don't fall asleep at the wheel, idiot!
Don't fall...
Oh, my darling!
There are people here, too!
Fire!
Yeah! Attack!
Mother!
Shit!
Bloody hell! Damn!
God! What a fuck!
Damn! Fucking idiots!
What is this shit!
Geez, mom! Somebody, help!
A corpse!
Pagma! Come here!
Bourma... Bouin... Come here!
To do what, Dad?
Bring me the stone.
Mom, what are we going to do?
We'll help Dad
to soften the straps.
Hold tight.
Make some tea!
Mom, don't seat in the sun,
it's no good.
Go into the shade.
Here's your tea.
Tired?
The tea.
Drink, drink.
Here's Bayartou.
Drunk as always.
Even his horse is staggering.
Uncle Bayartou is here! Uncle Bayartou!
Hi.
Hello, neighbor.
Where did you come from, so drunk?
You know, I'm jealous of you.
Beautiful day, eh?
Hey, dear... How are you?
Come to me, I'll give you a kiss.
You should be ashamed!
Hey... I brought you one thing here...
Look... That'll still be able to fix your...
Kind of spare one...
See what I mean?
A bit shrunken, though... Just like yours...
What's that up there?
- Where?
- Up your hat.
Oh, this... I forgot.
My brother from America sent me his photo.
I've got a brother in America, you remember?
He sent me his pic.
A brother in America?
What are you drivelling about?
I've got a brother in America!
Don't you know?
- Look at this, he sent me his pic.
- What a windbag...
- Just look! We're alike.
- This is your brother?
Hey, neighbour, when will you give it to me?
Get off! What a cheeky fellow...
Look: the same beard,
the same nose! See? And the lips!
I'll give it to you,
for you to remember me, eh, neighbour?
- So when will you give it to me, huh?
- Stop that, you cheeky rascal!
Alright, alright... You got a glass?
Let's... just a little...
What a... There's nothing more.
Get down!
No, I'm going. I'll go and see Demberel!
He always has some vodka.
Go, then! Just don't fall off
the horse on the way!
Look at yourself, you're so drunk!
And your horse looks like drunk, too!
Goodbye, Uncle Bayartou!
Come back and see us! Come back soon!
Help!
Help me!
Who's that, over there?
What is that, mom?
I don't know...
Somebody's yelling.
Look:
Bayartou brought this photograph.
He says it's his brother.
Does it look like him?
Well, yes, quite like him..
Hey, over there, on the horse!
I'm calling you!
What are you waiting for?
Come here!
Come, come!
Here! Good, that's it!
That's it! Come here!
Here, good. Good.
Hello! Hey, my friend,
over there - there's a corpse...
Well, a dead person. There!
Over there! Look, there...
By the side, it's all...
shredded... Shit!
All shredded!
Ah, yes!
That's my relative Toumour-akha.
The birds peck him well...
he must have become a God now.
Teimour-akha?
An uncle, eh?
Your, your...
uncle?
Then why the heck is he...?
Geez, nice customs...
And you see what a mess I got
myself into because of your uncle!
This is what he did,
your Teimour-akha!
I was just, you know, driving along,
feeling fine, quite calmly,
and started to doze off, you know...
I said to myself, only 100 meters.
I went like that, you know,
a little gymnastics, and then...
Damn! It was terrible!
I put my foot down. Shit, what a fright!
Instead of reversing,
God, I'm going forwards!
And you see the result!
You understand?
Look, do you have a telephone here?
You know... "hello, hello"?
Yeah, where would you call here?
Right then, what shall we do?
You saw it, eh?
That's it!
Well, it's too late to do anything today.
We'll sort it out tomorrow...
Get on, let's go.
Me?... With you?...
Great, fella!
Wait - I'll just look for my hat, oke?
Don't run off! I'm coming - right now!
Just gonna get my hat...
His own uncle's being eaten
by the birds,
and he, he's quite happy.
Geez, where did I get to...
I'm Sergei...
Sergei! And you?
Gombo.
Damn, Gombo! Without you,
I'd have had it... Geez, yeah!
My colleague is sick,
I'm driving alone, fell asleep, you know...
Us, we're building a road,
from the border...
Kil Na Dzam, as you say.
You understand...
We're working under contract.
Me, I'm from the region of Irkutsk,
you know, near Baikal, Lake Baikal.
You understand Russian?
Don't understand.
Me, it's the same with Mongolian,
I manage enough of it to get food,
at the market, you know... That's all.
- Here, take one.
- Thank you, thank you.
Bourma, come here, help me!
Come on, pour some!
Eh, what? Pour!
Ah!... That...
It's the army!
I was in the brass band.
When I was a soldier. A soldier.
I was young and stupid! Come on.
Go, go ahead, keep pouring!
Hey, Bourma!.. Come and see!
Come and see what's written on the Russian's
back, the same hooks as in your copy-book!
Dad, I'll catch it!
I'll catch it, too!
I'm coming!
Catch it! It got away from me!
Go round the other side!
Pagma!
Where's the urga?
Pagma, quickly!
- We'll collect blood in it.
- Pour me some water.
Hey, pour some water for me.
I'll close his eyes.
That's it.
Hold it here.
Bourma, bring me that!
Bouin!
Come and hold that.
Take off your gloves first.
Put them in your bossom.
Hold them together.
Take them to the yurt.
Hold them tight. No, carefully,
blood shouldn't spill out...
Tighter!
We should take off the hairs...
See, loads of them here...
Come on, take off all the hairs.
Here.
Hold that.
Bouin, hold it up higher.
Mom! Hold it!
Come to eat, quickly! It's all ready!
Eh, Sergei!
Come and eat!
Thank you! Thank you...
Eat, just go ahead!
Don't feel bad because of me!
I have my own...
Don't touch, till everybody's at the table.
Please eat! Well, eat!
Is it me you're waiting for?
Sit down here...
Thank you.
Thank you.
Give him that.
With your hands!
Eat...
Thank you! It's good.
Bouin, here, some meat.
Thank you!
Let's... um...
What do you want?
Meat without fat?
To your house!
I mean... yurt. To your yurt!
Go, Gombo!
Hup! Russian style! Bottoms up!
To your yurt!
It burns!
Damn!
Good God!
Help yourselves!
Very good.
Serve it.
Thank you!
Here's a tender piece.
Let's clink glasses!
It's a Russian custom...
Russian. Russian.
Broken-pea puree!
Soup?
Careful.
Hey, pass some to him.
Tchabota?
Yes, Samota.
Samota!
Not much for me.
It's...
Shit...
With the baguet.
There's this... there...
Damn! Couldn't it go
somewhere else, this shitty fly!
What?
A fly, damn...
Damn! I spilt it on myself.
Give me a towel.
Bourma, which piece do you want?
- Thank you...
- Wipe yourself there.
That? Ah!
You still want some, Bouin?
Damn fly, got right here...
Geez... Alright!
Gombo...
Who is it who plays... the accordion?
Who plays that thing... there...
- You? You?
- Bourma.
Our daughter.
You?
Our daughter.
You? You play!
Fantastic!
And... who teaches her?.
You know, teaches her? Eh?
Him. A relative who lives down town,
He's their uncle...
Tourline?
Tourline-akha!
Yes! He plays the piano
-... in a restaurant.
- A pianist?
He teaches her...
Her?
... the accordion.
Good Tourline! Good man...
Sergei... You?
Bourma!
Bourma.
Me too, I'm a musician.
In the army: a soldier, I was a soldier!
A soldier, you understand?
In the orchestra!
When I was a soldier. Soldier, you see?
Have some more.
Good. To the health of the children!
Oh geez...
Um.. Granny, Granny...
Grandma, doesn't she drink?
She doesn't drink, eh? No?
She smokes only?
Yes, she smokes a lot.
Raise your hand,
our guest's asking, come on.
No, you shouldn't act like this
with the grow-up people.
It's no good.
Eat instead.
You're not eating, Bouin?
Pass the dish.
And that one, who's that?
I don't know really...
Our neighbor Bayartou says
that it's his brother in America.
But I don't believe it.
He makes up stories.
He's a bit strange...
always drunk... staggers around...
Even his horse looks drunk.
And he's not... no?
Not, not that one!
- No?
- No, not that one!
Not that one!
Oh, geez...
That's the real fire.
Here...
Grandma...
A long life to Granny!
To Grandma!
She's super, Granny!
To your health!
To you! To you all!
Damn! Oh Lord, help me!
What have you got there?
Bourma!
Could you play us something...?
Yes, yes... play a little...
Yes, play!..
Gombo.. the accordion and...
Yes, yes, my daughter plays well, yes!
- Really, play for our guest.
- Good.
She is gifted in music.
Go ahead, we're listening!
Look, don't lie so close to me then.
Where should I lie? My bed
is being used by our guest.
But I'm not made of iron.
Pagma... come closer.
You're obstinate, like a child.
You know me,
I'll be pregnant straight away.
But before, you could...
The doctor did something to you.
Not just after the birth.
You have to wait, the doctor said.
I told you so many times.
You can't as long as he forbids it.
But it's three months already.
How long do we have to wait?
I don't know.
And you, why don't you do anything?
Have you never...
What can I do?
... heard anything about it?
No. About what?
Come here.
Yes, what?
I'll explain.
What?!
Listen to me, okay?
Everyone knows that.
You too?
Of course.
Eh?
My family is from the city,
I lived there for a long time.
They talk about it on TV.
In town, you're not allowed
to have more than one kid.
And how do they work that?
Condoms? At the drugstore.
What'll I do?
Don't worry.
Come here. Sit down.
You really are a barbarian!
You don't know anything.
You should buy a TV.
You learn a lot from it.
I will write it down for you on the paper.
Here's Bayartou.
Yes, it's him.
Hello there!
Hello!
What're you doing here,
instead of sleeping in the warm?
And you, why are you loafing around?
Drunk again?
Oh, I have too much to do!
What's this, this umbrella?
Rain stopped long ago.
I found it out on the steppe.
Gombo, look what I brought you.
This goes with the morning present.
It's called an egg, one is enough for you.
And this is for you.
I won it at cards. It smells of apples.
Here, take it... Well, I gotta go,
I have so much to do.
My brother's coming from America,
I have to cut the cow's throat,
I've got so much to prepare.
Well, I'll go then. Goodbye!
Go, go, his brother's coming from
America, windbag! Go and sleep!
Yes, I'm going...
Always drunk...
To cut the throat of a cow...
Where would he find one?
He never had anything except
his horse.
Tomorrow, I'm going into town.
I'll write it all down for you.
The weather will be nice tomorrow.
The sky is clear.
You aren't cold?
Gombo!
The road separates here.
To go to town, you go straight.
I'll go left -
to park the truck.
OK, we're agreed: at 7 o'clock.
Right!
Understood? OK!
That way?
Hello.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello.
Can I help you, comrade?
You want some condoms, comrade?
Me? No! Not at all!
What is it?
Some small apples.
I want to taste them.
You have to pay for
them then, comrade!
Hey you! You can't eat
them without paying!
Hello.
Hello.
- How much is it for one round?
- 2 yuan, comrade.
Well, take it all.
There's enough there for an hour!
Mom! The horses are running away!
Mom!
No, Boin, Let me do it.
Bouin, come here! Let's go for a walk!
Marina...why are you crying?
You didn't call me
for two days.
Stasik and I,
we almost went crazy.
Marina, if you knew
what I fell into!
Mom! Dad!
There's nobody I can read to here.
Nobody understands Russian.
Only Chinese here.
I will better read to you.
"I see the town of Petrograd
In nineteen-seventeen
The sailor and the soldier run,
They're firing continuously"
Do you love me?
What do you think, Marina?
"...They carry banners.
Beside... behind the Bolsheviks,
Lenin's Guards.
October has co..."
Hello, Uncle Bayartou!
Hello! What are you doing there?
Oh.. Here, have an apple
in the meantime.
Thank you.
Thank you.
"October has come.
Bourgeois power...
Thus, October exhausted
the dream of the workers.
Victory was not easy.
But Lenin led the people
and Lenin saw far
ahead of his time.''
Marina,
you know what an urga is?
A long stick with a lasso at the end.
The Mongols
catch their horses and sheeps with it.
And when they make love
out in the steppe, this urga,
they plant it in the ground to warn others.
It can be seen from far away.
And nobody disturbs them.
Not bad...
And you remember our dorm?
Horrible!
Seriozha,
what are we doing here?
And what are you doing
just standing there like that?
Hey, it's empty...
Let's go.
Bouin...
you asked Papa to buy
candies at the city, right?
Don't be upset.
Just wait a little longer.
He'll be back soon...
Let's sleep... Hush...
Close your eyes...
Good evening, comrade.
Good evening.
Good evening.
Good evening.
Have a nice workday, comrades.
And why do you think we're here?
You come here, make money, buy
what you want and go back home, see?
Shit!
Shit, I never have time
to relax and chat with my wife!
I can't! No time...
I'm working like a horse
here... building the road.
And him, he's harvesting corn
with a reaping-machine.
And what about us, do we have
lots of roads back home?
Or maybe we overloaded
our country with corns, huh?
Oh, thank you. Thank you!
Geez, just imagine:
we go to the other side of the world
to live normally back home.
Here, I have money! Here!
Here! I have money!
I earned it!
And at home? What am I at home?
At home, I slave away like a devil,
and I can't even get a little damn
wardrobe with a mirror!
I feel ashamed to my wife!
No! Put that away!
Hey, I'm getting offended!
You saw the pigeon?
You saw his dough?
And so?
- Let's pluck him a little, huh?
- What are you talking about?
What are you talking about!
Without him, I'd have been roasting
-... on the steppe till now!
- Let's palm off baby Lenin to him?
He received me like a human!
What's his name?
Gombo!
But you get what he's on about?
You understand?
He doesn't understand anything,
and you pour out your soul to him!
What do they understand about our souls!
What soul? What soul?
Our soul. Here!
Here it is, our soul!
Hey, you see?
Two yuans each!
A soul for two yuans!
Here! Our soul! That's it!
Our soul, our soul... shit!
Hey, wait! Stop!
What was your father's name?
What do you want from me, piss off!
No, tell me... What was his name?
Nikolai!
- Nikolai! Bravo! And your grandfather?
- You're a cop or what?
Come on, make an effort!
Your grandfather's name? Huh?
- Pyotr!
- Pyotr! Well done!
And your great-grandfather?! You know,
your grandfather's father? Come on!
You remember? Think hard!
- Think!
- Gombo!
He can't remember!
He forgot - shit!
And you?
What, what?
Do you remember the name
of your great-grandfather?
Well?
Asshole philosopher!
Just a moment...
Excuse me, excuse me...
Excuse me... One minute!
Stop! Stop!
Just a minute! One minute!
Guys, a waltz? Waltz!
A waltz, you know?
Here... for all of you...
all of you! A waltz!
One minute! Just one!
No?
They don't know...
Oh, geez...
Good! Wait! A minute!
Wait!
Here we go... Here!
Here! The music! Notes!
"The Hills of Manchuria".
The notes!
I was young! And stupid!
In the army! Young lad! In the army!
Go, play! Give it a go, come on, guys!
"...Hills are covered by darkness.
Suddenly, the moon shines
through the clouds,
illumines the peaceful tombs.
These pale crosses in the night
watch over the sleep of the heroes.
The shades of the past
wander endlessly,
and speak to us again and again
of the victims of the war.
All is quiet around.
The wind has driven the mist away.
On the hills of Manchuria,
The warriors are sleeping,
and they do not hear Russian tears.
The poor mother weeps and weeps.
The young wife is crying too.
We all are crying,
as one man,
cursing fate.
May the grass of the steppes
inspire you with dreams.
Sleep, heroes of the Russian land,
sons of your Fatherland.
Fallen for Russia,
You died for the Fatherland.
Know that we will avenge you,
and will honour your memory.
The poor mother cries and cries..."
But what's the matter, guys?
I was singing a song...
... a beautiful song!
About soldiers...
They all died here 100 years ago!
They died for you,
dammit!
My grandfather also was here!
He was wounded!
They don't know the words!
And I have the music!
Come on, don't hang about!
What are you doing?
Where are we going?
Sergei!
Sergei!
Van Biao!
Van Biao!
Come with me!
Something's happened!
- I can't! -Why?
- You see, I'm playing!
Comrade Lee,
please take over from me.
Go ahead.
- Let's go!
- What's happened?
Come on, hurry up!
My friend has been arrested!
You should have said that straight away!
They just took him away!
Go ahead, I'll join you,
I have my bicycle.
Leave your bicycle, I have horses!
Me? On a horse? In a dinner jacket?
You still know how to ride?
I'll try!
Quick!
- What did he do, maybe he killed somebody?
- No, he just drank too much!
Let's go! To gallop!
Gombo! Quickly, find
a ricksha! Over there!
Hey, here!
May I get in, comrade?
Quickly! Turn around!
You do not have the right!
I am a foreigner!
Let's go, let's go!
Don't disturb people!
Gombo... take him!
Thank you very much!
Excuse us, he just drank a bit more
than he needed.
I'll take the horses.
- Here is my address, get them there.
- OK.
- You're a good sort! You're so good...
- Yes, yes... Oh, stop that, sit calmly!
So nice fellow... A good sort!
Gombo! Where are you? Where did he go?
Are you crazy, or what? You've already
got three! And you want the forth one?
So what? Genghis Khan
was the fourth child in his family.
You're still waiting for a
new Genghis Khan?
I was the seventh in my family.
So what? The times and the laws
have changed.
Now the Chinese
can have only one child.
And you being Mongolian can have three
children, meanwhile I can only have one!
It's not my fault. The thing is...
Pagma cannot use contraceptives,
the doctor forbids it.
And condoms?
Pagma says the same thing,
that is why I came here.
You bought them?
No, I must go and ask the Lama.
You're gonna ride miles away to see him
to ask how to use condoms!
Pagma says I'm a savage.
She says I have to watch TV.
And do you use those... condoms?
Of course, all the time!
What's it like?
Have you ever had a bath wearing boots?
I have to go and see the Lama.
Hello.
Take your hat off. Where are you from?
I came from far away...
I wanted to ask advice from you.
You have your problems,
I have my problems, Lord has His problems,
let us better pray together...
Altan!
Mourgoun! Who's that over there?
Go get him!
Bayartou!
Pagma!
What are you doing here?
Look, he doesn't
recognize Genghis Khan.
Who are you?
Me?
Just let me show you,
who I am!
You are Mongolian?
Me? Of course, Mongolian!
Where is your weapon?
What?
What's this iron shit you ride?
Where's your horse?
My horse? Over there!
You're coming back from the war?
No, from the city.
You seized it?
No, I bought a TV.
Pagma, you...
What's that?
This is a TV, for me to watch,
not to be savage,
Pagma, it was you who wanted that!
Destroy this shit, now! Smash it up!
Sergei!
Help!
Help!
What are you doing with me?
I am the one of you! A Mongol!
Hey, guys!
Hello!
You're here, God be praised!
Im lucky!
What are you doing?
I fell asleep at the wheel, fell asleep,
you see? And the battery is dead.
Over there... Push!
Push!
Get this idiot, too, quickly!
Good job, guys! Thanks.
Hey! You don't have the right!
I'm a foreigner!
Burn this garbage!
You don't understand?
I'm... to build the road!
My truck...
belongs to the state!
Eh! Careful!
Gombo!
Sergei!
My windshield busted,
my shiftman got sick,
I'm alone at the wheel 24 hours,
fell asleep at the wheel,
and now you in addition!
- Here, Mom, tobacco.
- Thank you.
A new hat?
Huh? Bouin!
Bring me the manual,
it's in the box!
Hurry!
Bouin, run quickly!
Hurry up!
Give it to me.
Bourma, the screwdriver!
- This one, Dad?
- No, another one.
It suits you well, your new cap.
Bourma, come here...
Hold it here, the wire.
Carefully... don't pull too hard.
Do you need anything else, Dad?
No, nothing, let's go to the yurt.
Did you buy what I told you?
No.
Why?
They didn't have any left.
Grandma! The Russian came back!
Come and see his back!
This is how I, the fourth child
of Gombo, was born.
They called me Taimoudjine,
like Genghis Khan in his childhood.
It was my parents' idea.
Here, where my father planted
his Urga on the steppe one day,
now there's a chimney.
It can be seen very well from the window
in the big house where I now live.
Near from it, there's a gas station.
That's where I work.
I'm married.
No children for now.
I like to travel.
Last year, with my wife,
we went to Baikal.
There used to be a lake there before,
and also some Russians lived there...
This summer,
we're going to Los Angeles,
to see the Japanese.
Just to relax.